Sunday, August 5, 2012

Beyond Broadway: 5 Great Cultural & Culinary Day Trips from NYC

By Jacquelin CarnegieCatching a Broadway show should be at the top of your New York City “To Do” list. But, the surrounding, tri-state area--Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts--also offers great theater. At these venues, easily accessible by public transportation, you get wonderful entertainment at reasonable prices. Plus, the theaters are near nice restaurants and other interesting cultural activities for a perfect day trip. You might even be inspired to stay for the weekend or longer!

Paul Neumann and Joanne Woodward were key to the
revitalization of this historic theater. The red barn was originally built in 1835. Transformed into a theater in
1931, the Playhouse initially featured try-outs bound for Broadway, then became
a stop on the “straw-hat,” summer stock circuit throughout the 20th
century. Today, the not-for-profit Westport Country Playhouse presents
a selection of terrific plays with top-notch actors.

Begun in the 1930s as a venue
for the Princeton University Triangle Club (who still perform here), the
McCarter stage has been graced by some of the most illustrious actors of our
time. (Joshua Logan and Jimmy Stewart were in the first production.) McCarter was
a popular pre-Broadway and summer-stock stop, then developed into a place where
noteworthy playwrights premiere new work (Thornton Wilder's Our Town, William Inge's Bus Stop). Today, the theater continues presenting premieres
and nurturing new talent as well as showcasing re-imagined classics.

Getting There: From New York (Penn Station), take NJ Transit train (Northeast Corridor line) to Princeton; get off at Princeton Junction, then take the "Dinky" train to Princeton, a 5-min. ride, stops across the street from the theatre. Travel time: About an hour.

In 1938, the Paper Mill
Playhouse opened in a defunct paper mill. Begun as a repertory theater, operettas
and musicals were soon added to its’ repertoire. Over the years, the Playhouse
gained a reputation for offering a selection of great plays and fabulous
productions of Broadway musicals. Today, in addition to reviving iconic shows, the Paper Mill Playhousepresents brand-new musicals.

Nearby Eats: There’s
a café at the theater, Kirby Carriage
House, but Millburn’s Main
Street, just a few blocks away, is worth exploring--several ice cream parlors,
coffee shops, and restaurants. (The Millburn Deli is famous for its’ Sloppy Joes.)

The State Theater is housed in an historic vaudeville and
silent movie palace from the 1920s. Best known for its’ concert series
featuring headliners at affordable prices--from Aretha Franklin to Yo-Yo Ma to
Bruce Springsteen, the theater also presents Broadway musicals, opera, jazz
& blues festivals, comedy, and children’s theater.

Founded in 1995, the not-for-profit company, housed in a
1912 vaudeville theatre, produces award-winning plays and musicals, and finds
innovative ways to attract new audiences and introduce young people to theatre.
The new productions at Barrington Stage are so terrific they often transfer to
Broadway (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Freud’s Last Session) – but you can see them first, right here!

Barrington
Stage

Nearby Eats:
There’s a huge selection of all kinds of restaurants, cafés and wine bars on North Street in the Upstreet Cultural District.